


War Days

by betsy_malfoy



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-06-12 15:03:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15342426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betsy_malfoy/pseuds/betsy_malfoy
Summary: He is a Dark Maia, and he fell in love with someone who couldn't care less. What would you do, if you want something you can't take by force or deceit? Would you just try to forget all about it and try to move on with your eternal life? Or would you try to change the world itself, so that you eventually get your one and only chance?





	1. Cold Land

My castle in the Iron Mountains was nothing more than a tall round tower surrounded by an array of crude stone buildings of different kinds. Barns, barracks, kitchen, even a small infirmary. There was no wall or even a fence girdling this place, all for a good reason. It's purpose had never been military, neither was it built to make a statement of power and grandeur like the Great Angband itself. My place oversaw a small quarry, as if there was not enough stone on your left and on your right, above your head and right below your feet, that you had to start a whole operation to get even more. Cold unwelcoming mountains with their barren soil covered in snow most part of the year worked as a good enough deterrent for elvish escapees, coupled with the lack of any habitance for two days in any direction. A pack of garms guarded both the castle and the mining site from any other dark creatures lurking in shadows, so we really could afford to forgo the hassle of erecting more entrenchments. A small orc garrison dwelled on the ground floor of my tower, the first floor hosted my office cluttered with books and rolls of writing fabric, on the top floor there was my bedroom, where I was standing right now at the small window, wide open regardless of the harsh weather outside.

It snowed a little bit in the morning, but now the air was crisp and clean, its invisible icy tentacles unfolding into the well-heated room and biting my skin. I longed for it, this cold and bite, a moment of artificial unity with the forces of nature. One of the few left to me since I had betrayed my true self and become like one of the Elder Children. The reason for my unusual remorse curled in the spacious bed behind my back, and it won't be too soon before the icy breath of the late autumn gets to him, and he will inevitably get cold and miserable. I'm referring to my secretary of three years, a noldo with golden locks, one of the many spoils of this long and slow war. Initially I took him in to do my paperwork, but soon his responsibilities grew to include this one. I had never held much lust for anyone's flesh, but now it was the only amusement I was left with. Outside of our secluded little corner there was wine and war, and multiple orc clans roaming the vast northern land to keep an eye on. I can't say that indulging into forbidden pleasures really made me forget those more natural ways of spending an immortal life, but somehow it made me care. Not much, but enough to stand at the open window and feel empty, just because my involuntary lover saw in my eyes something he didn't like.

He was really tame. Quiet and obedient, although I never threatened him or used any force. Perhaps something had already been broken in him by the time he was brought to this castle. He lay into my bed face down, when I asked him to do so, and never questioned my orders ever since. I needed his services pretty often, sometimes several times a day, but he never complained. Our special time together had always happened behind the closed doors of my bedroom, and a year or so later I grew reluctant to leave him immediately and began to stay for a few minutes holding him in my arms. He never objected, and even learned to kiss me in the lips, which he used to be extremely reluctant to do. My noldo had always kept his eyes closed when he did so. Until today. He was pressed to the coarse sheets by my body, his muscular legs holding onto my waist, his hands caressing my back. He gave me a deep kiss and suddenly opened his eyes, our faces still less than an inch apart, and looked intently into mine, as if he wanted to read my thoughts. There was a flicker of something in his gaze, that lit up for a moment and died like a candle on strong wind. There were very few thoughts in my head at that particular time, but somehow I understood what he saw.

He couldn't know of course, that he wasn't the first golden haired noldo I laid my eyes on, or that I grew genuinely attached to him, but he immediately knew the main thing that mattered. I didn't love him.


	2. Maiden's Temptation

She stood proud and tall, clutching a freshly killed chicken by its neck as if it was a hilt of a sword. Not like she ever handled any weapon, this beautiful princess of humans. Or saw a living enemy, being born and brought up during the Long Peace and protected by many shields and swords belonging to her father. Hidden from any possible harm, she still had that look, as if she was about to lead her men into their last battle. And I immediately saw, why He had chosen this girl among hundreds and hundreds of her mortal and immortal sisters. The same eternal flame that was scorching the very souls of the sons of Feanor, but protecting the offspring of his younger brothers... Well, it wasn't really burning in her, but there definitely were some red-hot coals and a gentle glowing from under them. A mighty fire, tightly reigned in by an invisible force, so that it wouldn't kill the poor human girl, whose weak body wasn't made to contain an Elven soul.

I came near her and spoke to her, and unlike the Elven princesses I had seen, she couldn't hide her surprise and anxiety. This was a very secluded village, its forest paths known only to the local people and a handful of allies, and I looked like neither of them. Even a young innocent girl, loved by both her family and her folk, knew that seeing a stranger on your doorstep could not be a good sign. She squeezed the poor chicken even stronger, straightened her back even more and quickly peeked around me, clearly hoping to see people gathering and maybe some guards. But there were none, as I had lost only my mind, my powers were still there, and she was the only human allowed to see me that day.

"Beest not afraid, mine child, as I hath decided to help thee."

"Who are you? And why do you speak so funny?"

Did I mention that the last time I spoke any human dialect was somewhat eighty years ago? To me it was the same as eighty days, but for the mortal kind it happened to be just enough time to make a few totally unnecessary amendments to their language and seriously compromise my chances to talk this human maiden into some pretty dodgy stuff. I would not have wasted even a minute on any other mortal, I would have just broken her will and made her do whatever I wanted, but that day I had to be careful. He would notice at once even a trail of enchantment. Even the slightest one.

A piglet bumped his tiny nose into my boot, and I tried to shoo him away, before the silly sod could soil all over me. I didn't need to breath, which saved me from the worst of the stench, but dirt and mud all over this small yard didn't make me any happier. The girl stomped her foot and gave out a pretty nasty yelp, which finally made the little beast to change its mind about my boots and go try its luck smewhere else. Obviously, I didn't thank her. She only saved her stupid property from being minced on the spot. She should thank herself.

"Mine nameth is Eren," said I, having decided to use only the simplest words. "I hath heard thy crying for holp. I shall holp thee."

"You are mistaken," said the girl. "I don't need any help. Now leave at once. Please. We don't like wizards here."

"I am not a wizard. And you definitely were crying yesterday. Under the old ivy at the lake, remember now?"

She blushed and took a tiny step back.

"Are you a spy? What do you need from my people?"

I counted from ten to one in Old Elvish. Why are humans so full of self-importance?

"I do what you mortals call magic, but I'm not a wizard. I came to see you, but I don't give as much as this little turd for your people," and I kicked the offending piece of waste out of my way. "Now would you listen to me child? I have all the time until Arda comes to her end, but I'd really like to spend it somewhere else."

Her blush became deep scarlet, and I noticed a suspicious wet glimp in her beautiful eyes. Oh, flames and thunder! Why should any good deed be so difficult to fullfill.

"Forgive me my words child," I said quickly. "I am just a little bit impatient to help you out, because I have a similar trouble as you do, but I can be helped by no one including Eru Almighty. Yours on the contrary is very easy to fix."

Not like she knew anything about Eru the Creator. Or what on Arda I was talking about.

"Love, child," I said patiently. "Your fair Elf left you, and took your heart with him. You think, that you will never see him again, but that's not true. You can still be happy together, have many golden haired children, and even grandchildren. You will mend his shirts, and he will bring game to your table."

My last words finally fell onto fertile soil. Even though they were the most ridiculous words that had ever soiled my lips. I hope, no one equally skilled as myself were around at the moment. I really don't want to become a laughing stock for the whole North.

She actually stared at me with hope, clearly afraid to break the spell and lose her only chance forever. However slim it looked.

"Just come to the same ivy today, when your village goes to sleep," said I. "And put on something suitable for riding a horse. You will have quite a road ahead."

And I finished this tiresome conversation. For her it looked as if I just disappeared in the thin air, but in fact I had to walk back all the way to the place, where I left my Raug. A little sneaky demon who served me and bore an appearance of a horse. Very handy.

*****  
She was under the old ivy at two hours before midnight. Wearing a dark gown and, as I noticed even in the growing darkness, having dutifully scrubbed her hands. Good girl.

"What should I do?" she said.

I smiled.

"That's very easy, child. He left you, but he loves you, and he is just a man, and men are weak, even the immortal ones."

"You will come to him this night, and make him forget his duties. Then you will leave at the first light of dawn, and wait in your father's house until he comes to you to get married."

"What if it never happens?"

"No, this one will definitely come," I said confidently. "I know his kind, they are all about honour and responsibility. And trust me, Elves are made for love. Once having learned its taste, they always come for more."

"But is it good to get a husband through deceit?" she said slowly.

"It's not really deceit," I said honestly. "You can trust me in this matter as well. You and he just look at life differently. He is very spoilt by being immortal, and doesn't understand a very simple thing you mortals learnt a long time ago. Even though he is much older than your folk, and the sun, and the moon. Humans know, that their days are short, and are not afraid to be happy while they still can. You know, that you are going to die one day, Andreth, but it doesn't stop you from loving. You know, that you will lose everything at some point, but you don't punish yourself by not having it at all. He thinks differently. But you will teach him. Everything is going to be ok."

She sobbed quietly, and I felt jealous for a moment. I could destroy the mountains around us and create the new ones immediately, but there was something that this weak mortal woman was more powerful at, than I could ever become.

"It's ok to teach, Andreth."

"Where is he?"

"Far from here, but my horse will bring you there and back," I promised.

"I will go," she said, and I heard how the Great Weaver stopped her work for a moment and looked in surprise at the unfolding storyline that somehow went wrong. On her side. Not here.

I smiled and snapped my fingers, indicating my Raug that it was ok to leave his lair of shadows and show himself to this human.

*****  
Of course, the good for nothing Elf got himself killed in battle just thirty years later, but Andreth knew it might happen, like thousands of her sisters before, and was making them both very happy until the very last day. And even after her ever young husband left her again, this time forever, their sons and daughters, and a bunch of grandchildren helped this wise woman to cope and spend the rest of her unusually long life with a smile on her lips. A different Elf started to visit her village every now and then. I don't know, if he understood the full importance of this tiny change in the world's order, that I had made, but I'm sure, that Andreth told him at some point about meeting a wizard on her father's animal yard.

I'm in no position to teach here, but I can slowly, thread by thread, change the whole fabric of Arda. I granted a free choice, not bounded by any other laws than their own desires, to one couple. Next step will be made soon.


End file.
